CO₂ Emissions per Capita by Region and Sector

Isabelle Harris

Climate change is a prevailing issue in resource, economic, and policy discussions. Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas accounting for climate change, a byproduct of many industrial processes. This graph visualizes per-capita CO₂ emissions over the last century, showing how carbon-intensive life is across different regions. Recent declines in some regions suggest progress in reducing per capita emissions, though global trends remain uneven. Separating emissions by industry informs us on what processes are declining in emissions and which are not (whether it be due to efficiency, reduction in usage, etc). For example, Asia has been steadily increasing its coal emissions, whereas North America has seen a decline in this industry. Tracking these patterns helps identify where additional policy or technological interventions may be needed (or are working), which is important to slow down climate change! Data for this graph was collected from Our World In Data.